Cotton cleaner and feeder



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1 M. L. MOORE. UOTTON CLEANER AND F EEDER.

No. 553,125. Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

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M. L. MOORE. COTTON CLEANER AND FEEDER.

No. 553,125. Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

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MARTIN L. MOORE, OF FORNEY, TEXAS.

COTTON CLEANER AND FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,125, dated January 14, 1896:

Application filed May 18, 1895. $erial No. 549,822 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN L. MOORE, of Forney, in the county of Kaufman and State of Texas, have invented anew and Improved Cotton Cleaner and Feeder, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a machine especiallyadapted for cleaning cotton and distributing the same to one or more gins and it has for its object to so construct the machine that it will receive the cotton from the usual suction-pipe or equivalent supply, will clean the cotton, shred or separate the same and deliver it to a carrier, which in its turn will distribute the cotton to the hoppers of one or more gins, the distribution being evenly and expeditiously accomplished; and a further object of the invention is to provide for a steady feed of the cotton at the delivery end of the carrier, said device effectually preventing choking at that point.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, the screen in the vacuum-box being in section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken practically on the line 3 of Fig. 1.

The body of the machine consists of two longitudinally-located troughs A and B, one located below the other, the upper trough. being provided with a bottom, a substantially closed top and open ends, while the lower trough is open at its ends, its top and at the bottom, except where braces or partial partitions may be employed to connect the sides of the trough, and the two troughs are held together at a predetermined distance apart through the medium of suitable uprights 10, as shown in Fig. 3. Between the two troughs at or near each end thereof a drum 11 is journaled, one of the drums being provided with adjustable bearings 12, as shown in Fig. 2, and an endless carrier-belt 18 is passed over these drums, being adapted to traverse the upper trough adjacent to the bottom, and likewise traverse the lower trough, as is also shown in Fig. 2. This carrier-belt is provided with transverse cleats, ribs or bars 14, preferably placed at a right angle to the outer face of the belt, and the cleats, bars or ribs maybe of any suitable construction. Usually, however, they comprise each an upright metal plate a and brackets a, whereby the plates are secured to the belt.

At the delivery end of the carrier-belt 13 preferably three rollers 15, 16 and 1'7 are triangularly grouped, and an endless belt 18 is passed over all these rollers, the straight stretch of the belt being made to face the drum 11 at the delivery end of the carrier, so that the contact therewith of the moving cotton will impart motion to the belt. In this manner the channel 19 in the body, through which the cotton is delivered, is prevented from becoming choked, since the endless feed-belt 18 will assist the cotton in its downward course.

The body of the machine is placed over the hoppers of one or more gins C, and the carrier-belt at its lower stretch will deliver the cotton, after it has been cleaned and shredded, to the various hoppers, leveling the cotton therein, and the surplus cotton is delivered at the delivery end of the body upon the floor or table prepared to receive it.

At the center of the upper portion of the body a vacuum-box D is erected. This box is wider than the upper trough A, extending a predetermined distance beyond one of its sides, the opposite side of the vacuum-box being preferably flush with the contiguous side of the trough, and a screen partition 20 is erected in the vacuum-box, preferably extending from what may be termed the inner wall of the upper trough A upward to the top of the box and from end to end, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By means of this partition the vacuum-box is divided into two compartments d and d, the compartment d being in mediately over the trough. This compartment is without a bottom, but the other compartment is closed at the bottom. The box is provided with a cover, preferably comprising two lids 21 and 22, hinged to a central support 23, located above the partition.

The usual suction-pipe 24, connected with the suction-fan 25, is made to enter the overhanging compartment cl of the vacuum-box,

and the pipe 26, connected with the source of cotton supply, is made to enter the upper portion of the compartment cl, preferably at one end, and within the said compartment (1 a drum 27 is journaled, one trunnion of which is provided with a driving-pulley 28. This drum is exteriorly fitted with series of pins or teeth 29 spirally arranged, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The rear portion of the upper trough A is preferably closed at the top by a permanent cover 30, but between the delivery end of the trough at the top and the opposing end of the vacuum-box a hinged cover 31 is provided, the hinge being at its inner end, its outer end being free to move upward or downward, and

the said cover is hinged to a downwardly-inclined fixed cover-section 32, so that in the event more cotton than usual should be lodged on the carrier the hinged cover section or door '31 will yield in an upward direction to permit the passage of the cotton, while at the same time the door will always bear on the cotton being delivered from the carrier, holding it firmly thereon untilthe proper time for its discharge.

In the operation of the machine the cotton is drawn into the compartment (Z of the vacuum-box from the source of supply through the medium of the suction-fan 25 and the pipes 24 and 2G, and the cotton entering the said compartment will fall on the teeth of the drum 2'7 and be separated Orshredded by reason of the rapid rotation of the saiddrum. This action will cause the dust and light foreign matter to be released from the cotton, and such material will pass oflf through the screen out through the exhaust-fan, while the cotton in its separated and cleaned state will drop on the carrier and will be conveyed thereby, assisted by the feed-belt 18, to the bottom portion of the lower trough of the body and delivered to the several hoppers of the gins C.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a machine for cleaning and distributing cotton, a vacuum box provided with a screen and a separating drum at one side of the screen, a vacuum and a suction pipe entering the vacuum box at opposite sides, one supplying the cotton and the other removing the dust, an endless carrier located beneath the vacuum box, receiving the cotton therefrom and the feed belt at the end of the carrier moved by the contact of the moving cotton, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a machine for cleaning and distributing cotton, a vacuum box provided with a screen partition and a drum at one side of the partition, provided with spirally arranged teeth or pins, a vacuum pipe entering the vacuum box at one side of the partition, conveying the cotton thereto, a suction pipe entering the vacuum box at the opposite side of the partition, an endless carrier receiving the cotton from the vacuum box, and a feed belt located at the delivery end of the carrier, adapted to prevent the choking of the cotton outlet, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a machine for separating and cleaning cotton, the combination, with a vacuum box provided with a screen partition dividing it into two compartments, a drum mounted to turn in one of the said compartments, which is open at the bottom, the other compartment being closed, teeth or pins spirally arranged on said drum, a vacuum pipe connected with the source of cotton supply and entering the compartment of the vacuum box in which the drum is located, and a suction pipe entering theoppositecompartmentof the said vacuum box, of paralleltroughs located beneath the drum compartment of the vacuum box, one below the other, the lower trough having a substantially open bottom, drums journaled in the said troughs near their ends, an endless belt passedover the said drums, provided with ribs 'upon its outer face, and an endless feed belt placed opposite the delivery drum of the said carrier, as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a machine'for separating and cleaning cotton, the combination, with a vacuum box provided with a screen partition dividing it into two compartments, a drum mounted to turn in one of the said compartments which is open at the bottom, the other compartment being closed, teeth or pins spirally arranged on said drum, a vacuum pipe connected with the source of cotton supply and entering the compartment in the vacuum box in which the drum is located, and a suction pipe entering the other compartment of the said vacuum box, of parallel troughs located beneath the drum compartment of the vacuum box, one below the other, the lower trough having a substantially open bottom, drums journaied in the said troughs near their ends, an endless belt passed over the said drums, provided with ribs upon its outer face, an endless feed belt placed opposite the delivery drum of the said carrier, means, substantially as described, for tightening the carrier, and a pivoted pressure door located above the carrier at the delivery end thereof, permitting more or less cotton to pass to the delivery portion of the carrier, as and for the purpose set forth.

, MARTIN L. MOORE.

Vitnesses W. E. JoNEs, B. T. SEEMoN.

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